How low should you go? 5 days to go

[Johnny99]

Hi All,

 

How did you decide how low to bring your hairline? I'm still thinking about how to construct my new hairline. The hair at my widows peak has always been about the same. It really hasn't receded. It's been more of the sides. So I'm trying to decide between lowering the hair line and do the sides/temporal or just do the sides/temporal area.

 

If you have any comments on how you decided please let me know. I attached pics so you can see what I look like now.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[Johnny99]

Left side

[Johnny99]

Right side

[Johnny99]

Straight with raised eyebrows

[hair_me_out]

Based on your level of loss I think it'd be very foolish for you to lower your hairline at all. Fill in the temples and move back because you have a lot to be filled in.

[Fingers Crossed]

I agree with hair_me_out...I wouldn't lower the hairline at all. In fact, I left it up to my surgeon to decide where to place my hairline because I trusted him 100%. After 45 minutes, we both decided on a hairline that suited me. The most important factor to consider when constructing a hairline is to make it age appropriate. Who is performing your HT?

[Johnny99]

Thanks for the feedback. Dr. Keene is doing my HT. I'm 40 and have always had a high forehead.

 

John

[TheEmperor]

Originally posted by Johnny99:

Hi All,

 

How did you decide how low to bring your hairline? I'm still thinking about how to construct my new hairline. The hair at my widows peak has always been about the same. It really hasn't receded. It's been more of the sides. So I'm trying to decide between lowering the hair line and do the sides/temporal or just do the sides/temporal area.

 

If you have any comments on how you decided please let me know. I attached pics so you can see what I look like now.

 

Thanks,

 

John

 

This is a very good question, one that does not get asked enough!

 

Some docs are more conservative than others. I am sure that more often than not, patients will request hairlines that are lower than would be prudent.

 

From first hand experience, I can tell you that if your new hairline is planted much higher than your original hairline, there will be a higher liklihood of being dissatisfied. (In my particular case, my loss was diffuse throughout the whole top, so I had significant remnants of my original hairline up until a few years ago. THe new hairline is higher and does not "frame" the same way. Had I been completely bald for 10 years, or had the hairline receded initially, I might be more used to it.)

 

If you only recently "lost" your hairline, then a new hairline that is higher will feel like a step backwards. But given that you have alot of ground to cover, this may be unavoidable.

 

OTH, if your hairline was always high, and the new one is close, you will probably be satisfied.

 

Beyond just having "hair on top", I feel the reason to get a HT is to better frame the face.

 

A persons hairline, and the relative proportions of their forehead and face make a HUGE difference to their appearance. HUGE. Even just a centimeter can be the difference between looking your age and 20 years older than it.

 

Some docs are all too happy to plant low and most people feel these patients are the ones who will end up with trouble down the road.

 

Good luck.

 

Edit: To answer your question, dont go any lower than your original hairline. Listen to your docs advice on how to allocate grafts. If the hairline is more than .5cm higher than it was originally, you may not be completely satisfied, but that may be unavoidable.

[Johnny99]

Thank you,

 

Below are the two main points I took from your feedback.

 

1)OTH, if your hairline was always high, and the new one is close, you will probably be satisfied.

 

2)Beyond just having "hair on top", I feel the reason to get a HT is to better frame the face.

 

First, as I mentioned my hairline was always high. I'm thinking that I will be satisfied with keeping it the same and doing the temporal region...but, as you mentioned you want to 'frame the face' properly. Does this mean that if Dr. Keene suggests that my face would be better framed with a lower hairline I should do that? I know you can't really answer that question. It will be up to the doctor's style, interpretation of what is right for each of their patient & my thoughts on what I want. They're like artists, right? It's just that the hairline is such a big decision and you need to get it right the first time.

[TheEmperor]

Originally posted by Johnny99:

Thank you,

 

Below are the two main points I took from your feedback.

 

1)OTH, if your hairline was always high, and the new one is close, you will probably be satisfied.

 

2)Beyond just having "hair on top", I feel the reason to get a HT is to better frame the face.

 

First, as I mentioned my hairline was always high. I'm thinking that I will be satisfied with keeping it the same and doing the temporal region...but, as you mentioned you want to 'frame the face' properly. Does this mean that if Dr. Keene suggests that my face would be better framed with a lower hairline I should do that? I know you can't really answer that question. It will be up to the doctor's style, interpretation of what is right for each of their patient & my thoughts on what I want. They're like artists, right? It's just that the hairline is such a big decision and you need to get it right the first time.

 

This pic is like four years ago.

 

Hmm...

 

The tip of your hairline does not look "all that high", although it does look like your forehead slopes backward a bit sooner so that the tip of your hairline is farther back. (This is all my impression from the one pic, so I may be completely wrong.)

 

How much higher is the tip of your hairline in that pic compared to where it was when you were a teen?

 

Obviously your opinion and your Docs are the most important, but I would say that if you restored your hairline to what it was in the picture, but a bit broader/rounder, then it will look very good. You can always style the hair forward, depending on the angulation that it is planted.

 

I have not heard of anyone with significant loss going lower than their original hairline. Usually it is a battle to restore a semblance of what they had on top.

 

I cant offer any more advice. . . It is so subjective. Good luck!

 

 

Edit: I take this back. I looked at your profile pics and it looks like the remnants of your hairline are in just the right spot. If you restore your hairline at that location, it might even be considered low by HT standards.

[dakota3]

Judging from your pictures I dont think you should lower your hairline at all. Just concentrate on density and fill in those temples and you should be a happy camper!